Page 6 of The Missing Book
“Something you are already doing marvelously well,” Lady Granton said warmly, ushering Anna forward, though Leopold quickly went with her, making sure he walked only a little in front of her, as he ought. “Go now, enjoy yourself.”
“Take my arm,” Leopold instructed his sister. “We shall – ”
“Good afternoon, Lady Anna, Lord Broughton!” Before Anna could do as Leopold had requested, a gentleman bowed towards her, sending only a flickering glance towards Leopold. “How delightful to see you again, Lady Anna.”
“Lord Jedburgh, good afternoon!” Anna exclaimed, again riling Leopold by her willingness to speak before he had been given opportunity. “I did not know that you would be here!”
“Should you like something to drink?” the gentleman asked, now ignoring Leopold completely. “The champagne is over this way, if I might be permitted?” He gave her his arm, then looked towards Leopold with a smile. “I will stay in sight at all times, of course. We will not quit the drawing room, though I have been told the gardens are quite lovely!”
Anna laughed and took Lord Jedburgh’s arm. “I am sure that my brother will be very glad to be rid of me for a short while, Lord Jedburgh, I thank you.” Without so much as a backward glance, she walked alongside him to fetch the champagne, leaving Leopold bubbling with an ever increasing frustration. Had he not taught Anna propriety? Had he not told her that she was not to step away from him without his express permission – and that only a few minutes ago? Why, then, was she showing him such disrespect?
“You appear to be frowning heavily, Lord Broughton. Is there some reason for that?”
Leopold turned his head, about to say to whoever had asked him that he was quite contented and did not need anyone to be observing him so carefully. That answer was ripped away as a broad smile settled on his face instead, reaching out to shake his friend’s hand. “Lord Huggan! How excellent to see you again.”
“I am very glad to see you here. I thought it was you but could not be sure, but when I saw Lady Anna, I was certain. We have not been in company for some two years now, I think!”
“Near enough three,” Leopold answered, with a small, sad smile. “The last time we were in company was at my father’s funeral. I was and still am grateful for your presence there that day. It was a difficult time and to have friends present was a help for me.”
Lord Huggan nodded slowly, his expression sympathetic. “But of course. And now, however, you are here to bring Anna to society, I presume?”
“Indeed, I am,” Leopold sighed, grimacing as his friend’s eyebrows lifted in question. “Already she is doing what she ought not to do which, I confess, is a little trying.”
“And what ought she not to do?” Lord Huggan asked, his gaze going around the room as if he thought to spot Anna doing something deeply improper. “She has not decided to engage herself to the first nincompoop who has looked at her, I hope?”
This made Leopold chuckle, despite his own frustrations. “Thankfully, she is much too wise for that.”
“And she has you for a brother so I am sure you would not permit such a thing regardless.” Lord Huggan chuckled. “Though I must say, I am interested to know what she has done that is not correct?”
“She stepped away from me and onto the arm of a gentleman that I am not particularly well acquainted with,” Leopold told his friend, a little surprised when he did not immediately frown or click his tongue to show his disagreement. “I told her that shehad to stand beside me for the duration of the soiree and almost the moment we arrive, she thinks to do something else!”
Lord Huggan blinked but said nothing, making Leopold’s brows pull together.
“You do not think that improper?”
“I think that any young lady will not wish to spend the entirety of her soiree standing next to her brother,” Lord Huggan answered, with a small smile. “I am not in the least bit surprised that she took her leave of you, truth be told. That is almost what I would expect, for how else is she to have conversation and the like?”
“She… she can have conversation when I am present, to make sure all is good and proper.”
This made his friend laugh, though he quickly apologized but not before Leopold’s heart twisted with a sudden uncertainty. Was he being a little too overbearing? Was that what Lord Huggan meant by that laughter?
“I only mean that no young lady will wish to stand beside her brother, father, or chaperone at any occasion,” Lord Huggan explained, no doubt seeing Leopold’s frown. “She will want to talk and to laugh and to smile and tease in freedom, though, of course, any good chaperone will remain near.”
Leopold’s lips tugged to one side. “That does not suit me particularly well.”
“I am sure it does not,” Lord Huggan answered, with a small smile. “You have always been very particular, I suppose. I know your heart will be in the right place, however. You will want what is best for Anna.”
At this, Leopold nodded fervently. “Yes, that is precisely what I want. I am not in the least bit convinced that this Lord Jedburgh will be a good influence upon her and – ”
“Oh, Lord Jedburgh is harmless enough,” Lord Huggan interrupted, quickly. “He is a very good friend of mine and Ishould not want you to think poorly of him. If he has taken Anna on his arm, then he will behave quite properly and will return her to you very soon.”
Leopold’s face flushed hot. He had not even stopped to think that Lord Jedburgh might be acquainted with Lord Huggan.
“You need not think that every gentleman is a scoundrel,” Lord Huggan continued, with a grin. “They are not. Some of them are more than respectable and Lord Jedburgh is one of them. Though,” he continued, with a grimace, “if Lord Trafalgar comes near to either yourself or to Anna, I would not encouragethatfriendship. Nor would I go near to Baron Wishart.Thatgentleman is the disgrace of society!”
This piqued Leopold’s interest. “Oh?”
“Lord Wishart has lost not only his own money but money from his own brother’s estate also. He took it by force, I understand, only to gamble it all away. Lord Trafalgar, on the other hand, is quite wealthy and not at all foolish when it comes to gambling but he spoke very cruelly to a young lady recently,” Lord Jedburgh said, with a shake of his head. “He insulted her, insulted all bluestockings, truth be told, and then suggested that no gentleman of quality would consider a bluestocking when it came to matrimony!”
